WSJ: Vanden Heuvel, Gringrich, Palin and others weigh in on their hopes for an Obama Presidency

President Barack Obama will need to act swiftly and invest political capital -- along with trillions of dollars -- in a sustained recovery program. While many caution our new president to tread carefully, the reality is that half-steps will not lay the groundwork for a new economy that is more just and fair. Only by effectively marshaling the power of government can Mr. Obama improve the actual conditions of peoples' lives -- and consign antigovernment evangelists to the dustbin of history.

Mr. Obama has a mandate for change. People support reconstruction of America's crumbling physical infrastructure, and of our society. Here are a few steps I hope Mr. Obama will take: Reverse our deepening economic inequality by using this country's still immense wealth to assure that all Americans have the health care, housing and education they need; re-engage the world with wisdom and humility about the limits of military power; cut billions from wasteful defense budgets that empty our treasury without making us more secure; tackle the deep corruption in a financial system that consistently favors corporations over workers; respond with urgency to the climate crisis with an Apollo-like project to make America a clean-energy innovator; restore our tattered Constitution; protect a worker's right to organize; define a new spirit of sacrifice and service; clean up our elections; and reaffirm his campaign-trail commitment to end not just the war in Iraq but also "end the mindset that took us into" that war. Do not endanger the promise of this administration by escalating militarily in Afghanistan, further draining resources that are vital for rebuilding here at home.

Especially evident in these trying economic times is America's need for affordable, abundant and secure energy. This means American energy resources developed through American ingenuity and produced by American workers. I applaud President Obama's focus on alternative and renewable energy, and here in Alaska we've joined the effort: I have asked Alaskans to focus on obtaining 50% of our electric generation from renewables by 2025. In the meantime, we must not abandon oil and gas exploration and development. In fact, Americans should demand the cooperation of the major oil producers so that Alaska's vast supply of clean natural gas can be brought to market. Alaska stands ready to positively contribute to the nation's markets and energy needs.

Another step on the path to economic recovery is to let Americans keep more of their income. Mr. Obama and Congress could make this happen with permanent tax cuts and by adhering to a path of fiscal discipline. When congressional appropriation trains run too hastily, they accumulate excess baggage, spending more taxpayer money. Leaving more money in American pockets through tax cuts and fiscal discipline stimulates the business-investment and job-creation climate -- the climate for economic recovery.

Finally, we are extremely proud of our men and women in uniform. Mr. Obama and Congress must continue to guarantee a strong national defense by modernizing and equipping our armed forces; by treating active-duty military and veterans fairly; and by supporting the families of our service members. America will face difficult challenges in the years ahead. As Mr. Obama takes the helm, our prayers are with him as he seeks direction for our great nation.

Maybe he means "nationalize" health care. I assume Rupert Murdoch has fired all the proofreaders.

Steel:

'I hope this administration does not succeed in dumping vast amounts of printing-press money into the economy, so that taxes must later be raised to withering levels. I hope it fails to universalize health care or to sustain race-based affirmative action. I hope school choice happens in inner cities despite Mr. Obama's animus toward it.

'Barack Obama's victory was an ideological defeat for modern conservatism and a devastating blow to the Republican Party. It wasn't just a case of one centrist candidate slipping past another centrist candidate at the finish line. This defeat -- helped along by a sinking economy -- was on the level of ideas. It points to nothing less than a new and still unfolding Obama "progressivism" in which Keynes replaces Friedman and "trickle-down" gives way to "bottom-up."'

He says "bottom-up" economic growth like it's a bad thing. That's what I like about the Hoover Institute people: they don't equivocate or waste time on pleasant euphemisms. They're openly and honestly wrong.

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